The Artist and the Athlete
by SydneyTheSquidney
Summary: "And I smiled more than I've ever smiled in my life." Tobias Eaton is possibly the most popular boy at school. He is handsome, smart, talented, and athletic. But he has eyes for only one girl. Watch as Tobias shares his story with Beatrice Prior, a quiet sophomore, and they fall in love. Most book characters are OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Rate and review, please enjoy and post ideas in the reviews **

Tobias Eaton. Number Four.

He crosses over; sweat glistening on his forehead, the basketball blurring as he crossed over and over, eventually taking it up the basket and dunking it in.

Zeke laughed, his brown his glittering as Uriah passed him the ball. He took it up, laid it up, and jokingly pushed Tobias, acting tough.

I chewed on the end of my pencil, watching the boys from school play basketball in the park, sketching absently.

Tobias Eaton didn't really _play _basketball at our high school, but if he did, he'd be amazing. Tall, strong, and fast, he'd studied martial arts and did junior league boxing for years.

His nickname, Four, came from the jersey that he always wore, the cheap mesh ones that one of the guys had bought from some sports store and slapped a number on it.

Four used to live in Chicago, but transferred to our school, the one in New York that everybody drives past but never pays attention to.

Four was handsome. All the girls tried to talk to him, but rarely got three words out of his mouth. I, for one, didn't even try, due to my past failure with boys.

I tried to date a guy when I was a freshman last year. I tried, I really did. But he just didn't like me, and I didn't care for him very much, either.

Beatrice Prior, the kid that kinda blended in. I went by Tris, because seriously, in this generation, who names their child Beatrice? I still contemplated that sometimes.

Anyway, Four was a stunner. He was smart, which was the best part. Underneath that thick brown hair of his was a brain, which some kids in my school lacked.

Down below, on the basketball court, Zeke came up for a jumper and ultimately failed, hitting an air ball where there was hope for a three-point shot.

I looked down at my sketch pad. I'd sketched Four, his jersey blowing in the wind as he dunked the ball down. I ripped it up. My friends, Will and Christina, said I was a good artist, that I should show more people my work. I tended to disagree.

I stood up, and Will, who was sweating and dribbling the ball down the court, called out to me, "Hey, Tris! Why are you leaving?"

"I'm tired, Will. It's getting dark." I called back, making my way down the bleachers.

"Wait, we only have thirty seconds left. One of us can walk you home, don't want anyone getting you," He winked, and I rolled my eyes. I felt nothing romantically to Will, because Christina had been mooning over him for the past year. Yet I did love him like a brother.

"Fine." I sat down at the bottom bleacher, and watched the remaining thirty seconds, which were uneventful. I looked up when I heard Will's 'victory screech', which was just some high-pitched yodeling noise, and saw Tobias Eaton staring at me.

I stared back, my eyes narrowing. I pulled one of my faces, which consisted of scrunching up my face and sticking my tongue out. Was that a smile I saw on his lips? Before I could really tell, he had turned away and took off his jersey, revealing his dry-fit grey Nike shirt.

I stood as the boys got their bags and we started towards my apartment. It was tradition that after the games they would walk me home and then goof off for who knows how long until they finally found their ways home.

Zeke, Uriah, and Al lead the way, laughing and yelling. Behind them were Will and Roger, a tall blond kid. The rest of the players, whom I didn't know very well, trailed behind them, and in dead-last stood Tobias Eaton and I, both staring at the sidewalk and not talking.

"So… Beatrice, right?" His voice was deep.

"I prefer Tris, but either is fine," I looked up, staring at some tall kid's back. "Tobias, right?"

"I prefer Four, but either is fine," Four's voice was laced with humor.

"You're in my journalism class," I said thoughtfully. "I should've said hello before. Sorry for ignoring you like an idiot."

That was a lie. Every day, even though I denied it, I noticed him sitting in the back of the room.

"It's okay. I'm not the most outgoing person in the world,"

We walked in silence for a bit, listening to the whooping and shouting of the boys ahead of us.

Before I knew it, we were at the tall brick building that was my apartment, and I was torn away from Tobias.

"Tomorrow?" He offered, eyes glittering.

"I'll see you in journalism," I smiled, and then opened the door.

*PAGE BREAK*

The bell rung as I dashed into the school, trying to make it to my English class.

If I'm late, Mr. Young will give us detention. I've been on the receiving end of his anger before, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Prior," His annoying voice called as I skidded to a halt in the doorway to his room, breathless. "You were almost late." The bell tolled. "Sit down."

I sat down beside Uriah, who grinned at me. I smiled back. I didn't know him that well, because he tended to hang out with the sports kids, and I didn't really hang out with many people.

"Why are you late, _Prior_," He whispered, mocking Mr. Young's drawling voice. I lightly elbowed him, and he faked pain.

"Oh, shut up, Uriah," I laughed quietly as Young droned on about _The Great Gatsby_.

The day was uneventful. At lunch, I got my food and sat down next to Will and Christina, who were bickering about the football tryouts.

"You would be perfect on the team," Christina argued.

"Yeah, but my parents wouldn't be happy!" Will protested.

"Will, you need to be brave. You want to play, so you play."

"Christina…"

"What?"

"Fine."

I grinned. I could play basketball or run track, but really had no reason to do so. I sometimes joined the boys in basketball as a point guard, but they always went easy on me.

"What about you, Tris? Are you doing basketball this year?" Will pulled me from my thoughts.

"Huh? I dunno, maybe," I shrugged.

"You need to. You're excelled out in the park." Will urges, and Christina nodded eagerly.

"You guys always go easy on me." I inclined my head towards Will. He grinned.

"Tonight, how about this; we play a game. If you win, you don't have to do basketball. If you lose, you do." Will sat back and his grin widened.

I thought about it. I wasn't much in to sports, and we were in a small school. If I did basketball, then I'd immediately become the talk of the school if I did good or bad.

This could really change my social life, if I did basketball or not. Did I want to be popular? I was good at basketball, but who knows who we would play?

_Come on, Tris. Be brave. _A nagging voice in my head tore the words from my mouth.

"I'll be there."

** TOBIAS P.O.V. **

"Four! C'mere!" The voice of Zeke rose above all others at lunch. I nodded, and then my gaze drifted to the corner table, where Will, Christina, and Tris sat.

_Tris_.

I have noticed her ever since I'd gotten here. She had kept me from going under, from giving up. I didn't know that anybody could do that after what I'd been through.

I was a legal adult. My father had emancipated me last year, and so far, my mother had been funding me until I got into college. I worked on the weekends for extra money, and that is how I got my bike that I used for just about everything.

I had nobody. At the age of seventeen, I was a junior. A junior in high school, looking after himself with just enough money to pay rent, and falling for a girl that had parents that worked with the government. What a mess I was.

When I got home every night, she was what I thought about. She wasn't as pretty as most of the girls that flocked me daily, but she didn't care about her looks. She was so smart, in the journalism class for juniors, and pretty much surpassing all of us.

I wasn't interested in any other girl. All the other ones, they were nothing. They were merely acts leading up to the main event, Tris.

She said she would be playing basketball tonight. I heard that much from her table, where I itched to join her in her laughing in talking. She would be a team captain, and Will would be a captain. It should be fun.

I sat down next to a tall guy with sandy hair named Kevin. He nodded to me, and I returned the nod.

I picked absently at my food as Zeke and Uriah, the two brothers than always hung out, talked about a movie that they had seen a few days ago.

The last period of the day was journalism. Then it was the small hang-out period with all of those that played basketball, and then we actually played.

"Tris is playing tonight," I said in a lull in the conversation.

"Man, that'll be awesome," Uriah grinned. "Another bet with Will?"

"Yeah," I nodded. I rarely smiled, but the idea of playing with Tris almost coaxed one out of me. Almost.

*PAGE BREAK*

As I walked into journalism, my heart thumped with anticipation.

_There she is._

Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, smooth and silky. As usual, the spot beside her was empty, and I walked down the aisle to sit next to her.

She was reading a paper in her binder, her face turned down. I swallowed hard, and my thoughts were interrupted by Paula, a tall brunette girl that was one of the most popular in the school.

"Hey there, big guy," Paula drawled in her best seductive voice. She placed her small, petite hand on my chest. It felt uncomfortable and wrong. "I've got an empty seat next to me."

I looked up. Tris was watching the scenario with narrowed eyes. I was afraid she could hear my heart racing.

"No, thank you." I shrugged her hand off. "I'm good."

I felt a sense of satisfaction as I left her, shocked and angered, and set my bag down next to the empty chair beside Tris.

"Hi." She smiled at me.

"Hello. How are you?" I was nervous. That wasn't normal for me. I hardly ever got nervous, let alone with girls.

"Good. Zeke told me that he got word of me playing tonight," She chuckled. "You better be expecting your butt on my team."

My soul soared. "Really?" I stammered.

"Yeah, really. I didn't just say it for nothing," Tris smiled up at me, and without realizing it, I was smiling, too.

"What? Are you smiling?" She laughed. "That's a rarity."

"It is. Hardly anybody draws it out of me." I laughed. God, it felt good to laugh.

Mrs. Black walked in, and even Paula's evil looks couldn't damper my spirits.

And I smiled more than I think I've ever smiled in my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**TRIS POV**

He blew off the hottest girl in school.

_For me._

My hands started to shake. I was nervous. He sat next to me, so I just made some small talk and went on with my day.

The second I got out of class, I threw my bag into my locker and exchanged it for the small sack of gym clothes I always kept in there for physical education.

I had an hour of free time before the game. Most of my friends went to a diner down the street to hang out before games, so I decided to go there and maybe sketch some.

I walked down the sidewalk, mumbling 'excuse me' as I bumped into random strangers. In New York, most people weren't polite. But I tried my best.

When I walked in, I said hello to the owner, a woman named Tori. I pulled some money out of my purse, bought some French fries, and then sat in a booth in the corner. Before too long, a group of guys and Christina piled in, all loud and obnoxious. Tori grinned from ear to ear, and greeted them all by name.

I nibbled on a fry, trying to avoid the gazes of the boys, but before too long, Uriah yelled, "Hey, Tris! Get your butt over here!"

"I'm not gonna move. I'm comfortable," I wiggled my butt around to prove the fact.

"Alright!"

I sighed inwardly as the herd of children piled into the booth and pulled up chairs.

"Tris and I are captains," Will announced. "If she loses to me, she has to try out for girls' basketball. If not, I have to try out for football."

I didn't remember that part of the deal, but it made me smile.

"Hey, Four!" Zeke called. I followed his gaze and saw Tobias, sitting alone with a hamburger. "Come over here!"

Four shook his head and resumed his eating.

"Come on, Four!"

"Four, man, we gotta chair!"

"Please?"

The chorus of voices made Tori, who was leaning over the counter, laugh. They continued, but Four wasn't one to give in to peer pressure.

"Four! C'mere!" I called, and he met my gaze. A shudder passed through me, as I was lost in those deep blue eyes. He shrugged and stood with his burger, dragging over a chair. A series of whooping and cheering followed.

The conversation turned to tonight's game. Four and I were mostly silent, sneaking glances at each other, and I almost made him smile again when I pulled a face and Zeke saw me.

God, when he smiled, the whole world disappeared. I had never thought of a boy like this that wasn't fictional. Maybe he was fictional. I'd never seen a being that quite looked or acted like him, and I doubted that I ever would see one again.

His teeth were perfectly straight, and a dazzling white. His full lower lip stretched wide, and it was so perfect.

Before I knew it, it was time for the game. We headed out after I changed into my shorts and Nike T-shirt.

We gathered into a circle. Christina didn't want to play tonight, so she sat out, but I stood in the middle of the circle with Will.

"Ladies first," He flashed a smile.

"Alright, then. I want Four," I flashed him back the grin, and his faded.

"Zeke."

"Uriah."

"Kevin."

"Edward."

We went on and on, and finally we all had our teams. We settled for the jump ball, and the 'ref', a short guy named Tyler, threw it up.

My center was a tall kid named Blake that was handsome, but not _Four _handsome.

Blake leapt in the air and swatted the ball back. I caught it and dribbled it slowly as the others faded back.

I whistled sharply, and immediately Blake snapped into a pick and I faced around him, a clear lane to the basket.

I could jump high, but not high enough to dunk, not with my short frame. About six more inches and I was good.

I made the layup, and then jogged back.

The game was close. At halftime, I was sweating hard, and Four was, too. We stood doubled over as Zeke took the ball up for Will.

"How're you doing, Tris?" He panted.

"Great. Very energized." I rolled my eyes. "You?"

"Pretty much the same," He flashed me the ghost of a smile.

I raced to guard Zeke as he ripped past Edward. It wasn't surprising, considering an accident in fourth grade left Edward blind in one eye. He wasn't the best player, but was strong and tall.

I raced up to block his dunk, and his body barreled into mine. I soared back, and then landed hard on my knee. Something clicked, and agony raced through me, but I struggled up and stumbled forward anyway.

"You okay, Tris?" Tobias called when we passed each other at the half-court.

"I'm perfect," My voice suggested otherwise, but he didn't pursue the matter.

That possession was a dud, and Edward missed his three-point shot. My knee was starting to burn.

A few minutes was left on Tyler's stopwatch. He shouted the 2 minute warning, and I called a timeout.

My knee was scraped raw, but I paid it no attention as I talked with the team.

"It's 45-46, and we're only on a one-point cushion," I panted, my words hoarse. "We can do this."

The team nodded, and we raced back on the asphalt court.

Before I knew it, there were less than thirty seconds left, and we were down by one. Zeke started to dribble it out, but I was there in a flash and darting towards the basket.

I ran, Four on my heels, and then the worst possible thing that could happen, happened.

My leg buckled and I hit the ground face-first, blood pouring from my nostrils. Four glanced at the ball, under my arm, and I know he could've taken that three-point shot and won us the game, but instead he knelt down and Tyler shouted that it was the end of the game.

My knee was bent oddly. I was on my stomach, and Four rolled me over, assessing the damage.

"Tris?" He asked softly, a crinkle in between his eyes.

I tried to reply, but a wave of pain struck me. I closed my eyes and shook my head, tears pooling.

When I finally was able to open my eyes, all the boys and Christina stood around me. Four was speaking with Zeke in low tones, and then Zeke yelled, "Hey, Paul!" A short, pale-skinned kid stepped forward. "Call an ambulance. Her knee is jacked up."

I made a strangled noise and Four knelt down again.

"Give her space!" Will was shooing everybody away, and they huddled near the makeshift wooden benches.

"You alright?" Will got onto his knees next to Four.

I shook my head again.

"Tris, I'm going to move you knee. I've seen breaks like this before. If it stays this way before the ambulance comes, it'll mess it up, big time." Four gently put his hands onto my leg. It burned like fire.

Christina, who was sitting next to my head, gave me her hand. I squeezed so hard I was afraid I'd cut off the circulation.

I fought back a scream as Four shifted my leg, which sent another pain tsunami washing over me.

I panted as he patted my arm awkwardly and then said encouragingly, "You did it. That was good, Tris."

I swallowed hard. My breathing was pained and labored, and I was so glad when I heard sirens in the distance.

"Tris, I can't go to the hospital with you," Christina looked upset. "We have family over. I hardly got to go to the game tonight."

I couldn't respond, but I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Will stood. "Four, I'll get her stuff from the bleachers. I'll go with her to the hospital."

"Me, too," His voice cut like steel, right after Will's. "I'm going, even if I have to ride on top of the ambulance."

My heart swelled at Tobias's words. I tried to choke out a thank you, but black spots appeared at the edge of my vision as I tried.

The last thing I remembered was those mesmerizing blue eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the kind reviews **

**I don't really know what is planned for the rest of this story, so give me some ideas down below!**

**Thank you for reading and (hopefully) reviewing!**

**TOBIAS POV**

Her knee was broken.

That much I was sure of, and after seeing that nasty break, I wanted to throw up. Not because it was gross, no. But it sent me to my past, years ago.

I sat on the swing in the backyard of our house, at the tiny age of six. I swung back and forth, giggling and squealing like any child would.

Nobody was outside of our rustic lake house. We lived there full time, ever since Dad's job started to fail him and he took up alcohol. We lived way out near a big lake, a lake that I used to swim in with my friends. Our neighbors lived miles away.

Mom had left weeks before, and Dad had been in a deep depression. I've never known her that well, so I didn't feel the loss like he did. But I felt it in a different way, too.

It was this day that I had begun to think that Dad had maybe gotten over it slightly, and I had hope. Hope for a future. Hope for a better life. Feelings that a six year old should never have.

Then he came outside.

"Hi, Toby,"

He always called me Toby when the beatings happened.

He unraveled his belt, and I screamed. I tried to escape my swing, but he spun it around so the chain blocked my way.

Marcus laughed as I cried, cried not for my Mom but for anyone, to just stop.

He spun the swing around. I gasped as it closed around my throat, and then he spun the chain again. This time, I stumbled from the swing, and landed awkwardly on my developing knee. It twisted, and as I looked down at the horror, I screamed bloody murder.

A passing car, miraculously, had heard. By then, Marcus had retreated back inside, and I was left of the hard, dusty ground.

The car had picked me up after talking with Marcus, who denied that he did it. And sure enough, the second I got surgery on my knee to repair the break, I came back to Marcus.

The ambulance bumped up and down as I relived the moment, my face a mask to hide my emotions. The paramedic that was back there had attached an oxygen mask to her face and her eyes were closed.

Her limp hand flopped off the bed, and I have never wanted anything more than to grasp it and just hold it tight.

It seemed to take forever to get to the hospital. Tomorrow was a school day, so I'd either have to play hooky to stay with her or visit her at lunch when we were allowed to go out.

"She'll have to get surgery to put the bone back in to place," The medic explained, and we nodded.

"When will the surgery take place?" Will sat forward, his eyes calculating. He was the smartest person in our Calculus class, and he was a sophomore. It didn't surprise me he was already asking questions.

"Tomorrow morning, at about ten." The paramedic checked her vitals again. "She's stable, but that cut on her leg is bleeding badly." He pointed with a gloved finger to her knee, where a cut the size of a small stone was deep into her skin.

"Can visitors come before then?" I asked the medic, who was shorter than both Will and me. "Her parents will probably visit tonight, and they might want to come before surgery."

"Of course," The medic smiled. He took the surgical mask off his mouth, and although he was relatively young, he had deep lines in his face. "The surgery will only last about thirty minutes."

I nodded. My hands clenched into nervous fists. I felt oddly cold, like all the life has been drained from me.

The ambulance pulled into the hospital, and Tris was taken up to a room. Will and I had to wait until her parents came, who Will had called.

Will rubbed his pale, smooth face that looked so different from my rugged, stubbly face.

"Are you nervous?" Will asked me.

I shrugged.

"They don't call you silent for no reason," He forced a laugh, but it was hard to laugh in the sterile white room.

Again, a shrug.

"She's strong. She'll make a great recovery." Will assured me, but I knew it was more for his benefit than mine.

"I don't doubt it," I spoke quietly, deliberately.

We made mostly one-sided small talk, with Will mainly talking to air. I wasn't paying attention, because my mind was on that beautiful blonde that was now lying on antiseptic white sheets, a matching gown on her soft body.

I loved her. I didn't know until I saw her prone figure on the ground, but I know now. How many times had I looked into her deep grey eyes? Not enough times. Never enough times. I was in love with her, and I had never fallen this hard in my life.

**TRIS POV**

I woke up in a haze of morphine, my leg wrapped in a loose cast until surgery.

My vision swam and the room spun. My parents stood beside me, and leaned over me nervously. It felt like my bed was flying through the air, and that my head was light as a feather.

"Mom," My tongue was heavy and it was hard to talk. "What happened?"

Or at least, that's what I tried to say. I couldn't remember a thing, but I must've sounded like an idiot.

"Sweetie, we have to go. It's almost midnight, but we'll be back right after your surgery," Mom promised, and Dad gave me a very encouraging speech about bravery, but it would've been more meaningful if I even knew what he was saying.

Will came next, after they left. He went on and on, but again, I lived in a world of morphine, and everything was the same to me.

Finally, he arrived.

When Tobias Eaton entered the room and I saw his face, it was like he was a beacon of light, and I could think straight again.

"Four," I tried to say. "C'mere."

He stepped forward, and sat in the small plastic chair in the corner. I laughed hysterically. I laughed for what seemed like hours, but he just gave me a funny look. He seemed to dwarf the chair, and I guess that's what made me have a freaking aneurysm from laughing.

No, I didn't really have an aneurysm. I guess I shouldn't joke about that stuff in a hospital.

We talked for a while, back and forth, him giving me one word answers to questions that must've sounded like gibberish.

Finally, I did what I have wanted to do for a long time.

As he leaned over me, smiling just a bit, I grabbed the collar of his tight Nike shirt.

I pulled him down, and kissed him, full on the mouth.

It was like it was supposed to happen, like everything I've ever done was leading up to this very moment.

And his eyes grew shocked and wide for just a moment before he melted into me, and the night was made better than it should've been.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, guys. I need a new title for this story. **

**Can you list some options in the comments? This story is not primarily about her rehab, so use that as reference. I don't plan to have more than a chapter or two on her knee, but instead I'll get on to the rest of the story.**

**If you come up with the title, I'll give you credit in the summary!**

**Thank you, and please review! **

**TRIS POV**

As soon as I kissed him, I groaned in what I can only describe as the worst pain I've ever felt.

Yeah, it kinda ruined the moment. And Four pulled away, a satisfied yet scared look on his face. He hit the call button, and pulled his chair closer as I struggled for breath.

The cast, which was loose for the upcoming surgery, had hit my knee with all of its weight when I kissed Four.

A nurse came in, and gave me more painkillers in my IV, and then she gently cut off the cast as I waited for the new medicine to kick in.

Four winced as he saw my knee. It had the big ol' crater from the asphalt, which was oozing a clear liquid. And the bone was pressing against my skin so bad that you could see the pearly white texture from where Four sat.

The nurse said that it would be okay, and I fought the urge to vomit as I saw my knee. Four saw my face flush, and reached behind him quickly for the unused bedpan.

I leaned over, and as I puked into that bedpan, I felt his warm hands pulling my hair back.

That's when I knew he was a keeper.

**PAGE BREAK**

Surgery was quick and easy. They put the bone in place and did some other stuff down there. Mom would probably know, but I could honestly care less at this point.

I got out of surgery. Dad had warned me beforehand that he and Mom had to work, so they wouldn't be there. Then he assured me that a boy waiting for me during surgery would be there.

I woke up, and saw Four sitting on the chair. I was back in my room, laying down on the bed. If all went well, I'd be out within a few days.

"Hi, Tris," Four smiled.

I had gotten some medication from after the surgery, and I blinked slowly, looking around.

Four was still smiling as I took everything in. My mind was fuzzy, but every molecule in my body was relaxed.

I finished my look-around, and then saw Four scoot his chair closer. He took my hand in his, and I started at our interlocking fingers.

He talked to me. It would be two hours until Mom got here, and he filled it with words.

I hardly said more than two words in response, but he seemed open. Clear. And to tell you the truth, I kinda loved it.

**FOUR POV**

After three hours of waiting, Tris opened her eyes.

I had gotten some sleep when she was in surgery, and I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had had a crush on a girl before, of course, but it wasn't like this.

Every time I saw her, it was like I met her all over again. My palms would get sweaty, my throat would go dry, and my stomach immediately filled with butterflies.

Tris's parents had seen me waiting to visit Tris that morning. We talked, and they seemed to think I was an okay guy, because they filled me in on her condition.

"Rehab for the next month," Her mother, a tall, pretty blonde woman, told me as her husband pulled up their car.

I nodded. "Mrs. Prior—"

"Natalie," She corrected me with a smile.

I smiled a bit. "Natalie, I have only known your daughter for these past few days, but she seems like a great person. I don't know what you have planned, but I would be more than glad to assist in her rehab."

Natalie nodded. "I'll talk to Andrew. She needs friends, and we can't take off work."

"Thanksgivings break is soon, and I was told her friends would be out of town." That was all Will could talk about in gym. He was going on vacation. And I overheard Christina mentioning Mexico to Tris. "Anything you need and I just live down the street."

She smiled again, and pulled me into a hug. I hesitated for only a second before returning the embrace, and when she let go, tears brimmed her eyes.

"Tris has never been outgoing and hasn't had many friends," Natalie looked me in the eye. "Thank you, so much, for being here for her."

"Anything," I repeated. "Anything you need." I smiled, and then she had to leave.

**PAGE BREAK**

The next four days following Tris's surgery were filled with me sitting in the awful plastic chair and listening.

She told me about Caleb, and his girlfriend Susan, and about her parents' jobs. I told her about my life, and my pet cat, and everything but my family.

I didn't tell her about the scars that lined my back. That had to wait.

When she got out, her parents invited me over. I got her schoolwork and we did ours together, because I had missed as much as she had.

Her room had been moved downstairs temporarily. Their guest room was now belonging to Tris, and, most of the time, me.

We did English and math and journalism, but most of all we talked. Sure, by the end we had it all done, but in between, we had fun.

We had kissed once since our first. I kept a running tally in my mind, and I didn't know when I would break the habit.

A week had passed since Tris got home. She hadn't gone out yet, and was in a wheelchair for the next two days.

Today was a Saturday. Tris's friends had seen her yesterday, so today was one of the days I could have her to myself.

I knocked on the door, and Tris's father opened. He beamed at me, and I gave a smile and stepped inside the house.

"Fall is definitely here," I took off my jacket. "It's chilly."

Her dad laughed. "I hope you don't mind the cold. Beatrice has been _dying _to go out."

"Well, I promised I'd take her," I hung my jacket on the coat rack, and stood facing him. I was a few inches taller than him, and much stronger, but he had an air of confidence only a government official could possess.

"Where do you guys plan to go?" Mr. Prior led me into the kitchen.

"I'm going to take her out for lunch, and we're just winging the rest," I smiled. Only this family could draw a smile from me.

Caleb was sitting in the kitchen. When he saw me, he nodded curtly. Caleb hated me, and I had no idea why.

"That sounds fun," Mr. Prior turned and looked at me. He leaned in, and said softly, "You're the best thing that's happened to her in these hard times." He nodded, and I swallowed, nodding.

"Thank you, sir," I smiled again. "I'll go get her."

I headed down the hallway. The guest room's door was open, and I knocked on the open door, smiling at her from the door frame.

She was sitting at her desk, scribbling with a passion on a piece of paper. When she heard me knock, Tris turned around and lit up the room with a pearly white smile.

"Hey, Tris," I walked over to her, and she met me halfway by wheeling over. While she was upset about her inability to walk, she responded in the best way possible; trying to gain strength in her arms, to be able to go fast.

"Hi, Four," She sighed in mock irritation. "Gosh, Four. You should've been here like an hour ago."

"Oh, so I can't take you out?" I raised my eyebrows, a ghost of a smile on my face.

"Haha, funny one."

I insisted on pushing her when we got on the sidewalk. She wore a thin Columbia shirt and jeans, which covered her skinny legs. Her legs before were skinny, but not _that _small.

We talked as we walked down the street, which wasn't too crowded, by New York standards. The crisp fall air was chilly, but not too cold.

"So, Tris," I wheeled her around a statue. "Where to for lunch?"

After a bit of talking, we decided on a hamburger place, and I sat down on the hard plastic bench. We ordered food, and then talked.

"How is your knee feeling?" I sipped my water. Outside, the sky was growing dark, although it was only two in the afternoon.

"Alright," Tris sighed. "I miss playing basketball, and I miss walking around. But at least I'm healing."

"Yeah, and you can show your kids the scars and tell them that you fought a bear."

"A bear?"

"Yeah, a bear."

"When will you ever see a bear in New York City?"

"You never know."

She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

Lunch was quick, but we stayed and talked. When we finished, I pushed her out of the restaurant, and we walked around. It was misting, and the occasional clap of thunder sounded across the sky.

"We're not cutting this short," I assured her.

"We'd better not cut this short."

I laughed. "You are determined to get outside."

"Who wouldn't be, after being cooped up for eleven days in their house?"

"Got me there."

We talked and talked, and finally we pulled into an athletics store. She wanted some new tennis shoes and some other clothes.

"I must really like you to take you shopping." I chuckled softly as I pushed her through the racks of clothing.

Tris laughed. "Yeah, soak it in. I go shopping for athletic clothes about once every two months."

"Really? What with Christina being such a big shopper, I thought you'd be one, too."

"See this makeup on my face? Of course you don't, because I'm the only one in school that doesn't _wear _makeup."

She picked out a tight black T-shirt and matching shoes. After searching for a while, she settled on that T-shirt, those shoes, and some grey shorts. She also said that I should get some basketball shoes, and I shrugged.

"I don't see the point," I protested.

She looked down at my frayed Nikes, and I shrugged. "They still fit."

Tris, in the end, allowed me to just buy some new shoes. I took her up to the front desk, and as she got out her purse, I slid the money over the counter.

My mother was what you could call rich. She had left Dad, and at first I was resentful, but I regained contact and mended our bond. I still wasn't close to her, but we were clos_er_, which was the key.

Mom lived in Washington D.C. and worked in some high-up government job that had low hours and paid well. That's really something you don't see often in the American economy, but still.

She offered to take me in after Dad let me go, but I said that I needed to mature. I needed to learn to live on my own, and she said she'd give me money every week, which I saved and added up and now I have a fancy apartment and lots of leftover money.

When I wheeled Tris away, she looked up at me, puzzled.

"I didn't pay."

The bag sat in her lap, and I shrugged.

"You're my date." I blushed as soon as I said it.

Tris smiled. "I'm okay with that,"

I pushed her out of the store and through the rain.


End file.
